Sony Z Hard Drive Question

So I want to buy this Sony Z laptop... but they charge too much for the 320 GB upgrade ($250).. I can get it off new egg for $90 shipped http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822136280

Only difference is this G-Sensor Business... Is that a motherboard feature or controlled by the drive its-self?

Does anyone know which brand/model drive they use in the Sony Z? How many drives fit in the Z?

 

It's a drive feature. The Z comes with a Hitachi.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822145228

However, note that Newegg's drive is an OEM drive, which may or may not have the full feature set.

 

I think that the hard drive protection is down to the software. I have this on both my TX drive and SZ Fujitsu drive and i believe that it is the hard drive protection software that you can download from the Sony website.

 

Yes, it's movement sensors and software, but you need a hard drive that supports the instantaneous drive head parking, or G-protection will do you no good.

 

Mine is Toshiba http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822149072&Tpk=MK3252GSX

Nothing fancy, or any special features from what I can see. G-protection works fine.

Some other people have installed the WD Scorpio Black WD3200BEKT here as well. They don't seem to have any problems with the G.

The protection is independent of the HDD, but you need to install the proper drivers/software for it to function.

There's already been tons of discussion on this forum regarding brand names, size, speed. Search for 'em.

 

If it is software, does it mean that when it is powered off there will be no protection? Or, maybe the software still runs even, hence causing the infamous "battery leak", when powered off?

 

I think the shock protection is now entirely within the hard drive, works automatically, and requires nothing from the laptop. I did some research earlier for external hard drives and settled on seagate drives but this section of a Tom's Hardware review sums it up neatly:

http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/notebook-hard-drive,2006-2.html

Doug

 

Well it shouldn't be needed when it's turned off (or any time the hard disk is turned off, i.e. in standby) because the drive heads should be parked anyway. I do remember it being mentioned somewhere though (probably in the manual for my SZ) that it won't provide any protection while booting up or entering/resuming from standby or hibernation etc.

Which leads me to wonder something else... as it's software based, if something is heavily loading the laptop, i.e. the CPU etc... isn't it possible that it may take longer for the protection to be activated if it is dropped or whatever then?

 

Yeah, some drives do have it all built in now, but I think the system that VAIOs use is done via software and a seperate sensor... although if the point is replacing the hard drive, then using one with a built in protection system should work with it's own protection... just the shock protection software etc that comes with the VAIO won't do anything.